The invention relates to electronic equipment monitoring apparatus and more particularly to apparatus for monitoring the life cycle of electronic equipment of the type that creates an output data record.
Environmental directives requiring extended producer responsibility for electronic equipment are developing in Europe, Japan, and other regions of the world. These directives, designed to reduce the environmental impact of electronic goods, will force producers to pay for proper disposal and/or recycling of their electronic goods at the end of their useful life. The emerging European Directive on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE Directive) also required producers to xe2x80x9cset up systems so that last holders and distributors can return end of life electrical and electronic equipmentxe2x80x9d.
These requirements pose a difficult challenge for equipment producers. Currently, a xe2x80x9cdisconnectxe2x80x9d is formed between electronic equipment producers and users at the point of sale. There is no mechanism for producers to obtain information on equipment condition or to communicate with equipment users at key points in the equipment life-cycle. Clearly, the ability to predict end-of-life equipment events and location of those events would hold business value to producers faced with extended producer responsibility. For example, predictive information would enable: efficient operation of end-of-life equipment recycling facilities; the ability to inform equipment users of recycling/disposal options in a timely manner; and the ability to build customer loyalty by communicating information on equipment trade-in promotions at relevant points in the equipment life-cycle.
The concept of recording operational data within equipment products is well known. Car odometers and electronic green-ports are examples that exist today. See for example U.S. Pat. No. 5,654,902 issued Aug. 5, 1997 to Scheidt et al., entitled xe2x80x9cRecyclable Component with Data Storage for Storing Information for Examining the Component and Product Including Such a Component.xe2x80x9d These green-port indicators provide valuable information to recyclers and second market users at the end of equipment life, but do not provide information to manufacturers during the life of the product.
Another reason, apart from environmental concerns for monitoring equipment, such as consumer electronics, is to identify technically obsolete versions of the equipment and alert users to the existence of improved versions of the equipment or associated software, or to notify owners of recalls of defective products. This function is presently handled by a product registration process wherein the owner of the equipment fills out a product registration card and returns it to the manufacturer. A shortcoming of this approach is that many customers of consumer electronics fail to return the registration cards. Even when the cards are returned, the information quickly becomes dated and is no longer useful to the manufacturer. Furthermore, the information is limited and does not contain any information about the frequency and conditions of use of the product that may affect its useful life.
There is need therefore for an improved system for monitoring the life cycle of electronic equipment, particularly consumer electronic equipment.
The need is met according to the present invention by providing a system for monitoring the life cycle of an electronic apparatus of the type that creates an output data record such as an exposed photographic film, or a digital data, sound or image file and that includes a sensor in the electronic apparatus for monitoring the operation and condition of the apparatus to produce operational data; means in the electronic apparatus for appending the operational data to the data record; a data record utilization device that receives and operates on the data record; and a digital processor in the data record utilization device having a software agent that retrieves the operational data from the data record, processes the operational data and produces a message related to the life cycle of the product.
Advantages:
Advantages of the present invention include:
1) Enabling extended producer responsibility. Extended producer responsibility is expected to be required by the European WEEE Directive beginning in 2003. Similar requirements are expected to emerge shortly thereafter in other markets such as Japan. The current draft of the WEEE directive requires equipment producers to set up systems so that last holders and distributors can return end of life electrical and electronic equipment. Through the use of the present invention, an equipment producer could provide timely information on trade-in or disposal options to owners as products approach the end of their useful life. Similarly, the producer could use the present invention to predict the timing and location of future service calls and/or end-of-life events.
2) Enabling ongoing customer ⇄ producer contact. Communications between customer and producer are important to ensure customer loyalty. The present invention could be used to augment the current system of product registration cards and focus groups by triggering periodic communications between customer and producer as equipment is used. Communications could include, but are not limited to: equipment trade-up promotions, consumable discounts for high-use customers, notification of change in ownership, and quantitative voice-of-customer data.